Weekly round up of all the media that infested my mind for the past 7 days
Books
2666 by Roberto Bolaño
I have spent most of my time making my way through this exquisite book. I haven’t read Bolaño in a long time and have previously read parts of 2666 in Spanish. While I am absolutely loving the English version and have since acquired a paperback copy, my mind is yearning to read it in Spanish. I began reading this on my kindle and once I hit the "5 page sentence" mark I knew I needed to annotate on a physical book because I had so much to say. Im excited to slowly digest and enjoy 2666 throughout the rest of August.
Notable mention: Failed readathon with @rayannotates (TikTok/IG) on Saturday
Book Haul
Shows
Painkiller (netflix)
If you know me, you know im OBSESSED with the Sackler Family. Obsessed with seeing their downfall that is. When I first learned about the Oxycontin crisis back in 2010, I became hooked on learning about how a powerful group of people, through due influence and money, we’re able to convince a whole nation of doctors, reps, and patients, that Oxycontin was safe. From a business and marketing standpoint, they definitely pulled off a big stunt —at least until they didn’t. Painkiller is the story of how they got away with that, how it impacted families across blue collar/rural America, and how people went at great lengths to stop the Sacklers.
I personally think the storyline was a bit rushed at the end. We got to meet a lot of different characters but I wasn't particularly invested in any storyline for too long, and by the last episode it fell flat on me. What really kept me engaged was Richard Sackler's portrayal by Broderick as well as the glamourization of oxycontin. While I don't agree with Purdue Pharma's actions, I think this show did a great job of capturing the frenzy behind making & disturbing the drug, and getting away with it.
Painkiller is reminiscent of Hulu’s Dopesick (2021) starring Michael Keaton, however told in a more visually engaging way. I think after rewatching Dopesick and comparing the two side by side, Dopesick would be the one that I recommend. It paints oxycontin for what it is: a drug that was misrepresented, abused, and wrecked havoc all across America.
I can neither confirm or deny that I immediately ran to eBay to try & buy an oxycontin plushie...
Books to read if you enjoyed these shows:
Baggu
Sandy Liang x Baggu Haul
My haul from the Sandy Liang x Baggu Collab finally arrived (after 15 days because DHL shipping is SO slow.) I ordered the medium crescent, Dopp kit and the standard reusable bag in the market print and I am so pleased with my purchase. This print reminds me of the Mexican market bags I grew up watching my abuela use to carry around all the meats and veggies from the morning run to the Plaza. Now that I'm reminiscing, I probably would have purchased one for her so that she can one up all the other abuelas, because it's so cute.
Trader Joes Trip
Took my new standard out for a trader joes trip. Featuring my avocado 🥑 medium crescent and the new hotdog keychain that im obsessed with.
See ya next week ☺